Rainfall deficits intensify in W.A.

The Bureau of Meteorology announced today that during the past
six months large areas of southwest Western Australia have
experienced severe rainfall deficiencies. Parts of southeast
Queensland and northeast New South Wales are similarly affected.
Despite
above average falls in September over much of southeastern
Australia, parts of Victoria, Tasmania and South Australia are
still experiencing longer-term deficiencies.

6-month rainfall deficiencies

Relatively dry weather in September exacerbated rainfall
deficiencies in Western Australia, southeast Queensland and New
South Wales. For the six months from April to September 2000 a
large region in the west of W.A. is experiencing severe deficits. Rainfall deficiencies for this period are also evident
on the central NSW coast and the border region of northeast NSW -
southeast Queensland.

8-month rainfall deficiencies

The eight months from February to September 2000 were also
deficient in rainfall over southeast Queensland and northeast NSW,
but in comparison to the 6 months the affected region spreads
further north and east to the coast.

48-month rainfall deficiencies

The rainfall for the past 48 months has been markedly below
average over southern Victoria, the southeast of S.A., together
with the north and east of Tasmania. Above average September
rainfall barely changed this pattern.